Magneto ignition machine



April 23, 1929- A. G. L. NEIGHBOUR 1,709,996

MAGNETO IGNITION MACHINE Filed April 2, 192.6 2 sheets-sheet ll Flc " n jbl/enfer:

April 23, 1929- A. G. L. NEIGHBOUR MAGNET() GNITION MACHINE Filed April 2, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented' Apr. 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lMAGNETO IGNITION IiIACHINE.,

Application filed April 2, 1926, Serial No. 99,249, and in Australia April 6, 1925.

This invention relates to magnetos einplo yed for ignition purposes in internal combustion engints, and it has special reference to animnoved magneto wherein the various coaeting parts are mounted en or within an angularly displaceable structure or sleeve which uiaintafins the parts in their most cf* licient positions at all points in the range of timing adjustments.

ln prior constructions to obtain uniformity of sparking over the timing range, soft iron polar segments have been used which .vere positioned between .tixed pole pieces of the permanent magnets and the rotating armature, and were mechanically connected` with the operative cams of the interrupter so asto move synchronously therewith during timing adjustments. ln some rases 'the soft iron polar segments have been fixed in a sleeve of non-magnetic metal which was rotati'vely mounted between opposed .fixed pole pieces magnetically associated with permanent magnets fixed to the frame of the 1 iachine. i n

ln the prior patent of applicant No. 1.4119345. laminated polar segments or auxiliary pole pieces were mounted on a. sleeve of non-magnetic material and were A positioned between fixed pole pieces and an armature rotatively mounted within the sleeve. The sleeve was fitted in a housing or ing whereon the magnets and fixed pole pieces were niounted. and the armature, in` terrupter, and the distributor were supported by said sleeve, the rotary element et the distributor being carried on the armature. he collectors of the distributor were spaced coneentrieally around the axis of the armature, and ^the distributor was accordingly of gearless construction.

In the present invention a non-magnetic tin'iing sleeve is also employed, which in addition to the above mentioned parts has mounted or fixed upon it the pern'ianent magnets, and provided with an extension which supports both the statimiary and moving` elements of the distributor vd'iich is of gear driven construction and is operatively cormeci'ied with the armature shaft.

The timing sleeve accordingly carries all the parts ot the magneto and in effect the invention consists essentially in mounting a magneto Vin a housing adapted Vfor attachment to an internal comlaistion engine, and in arranging and fixing the magneto in the housing in such manner that the timing sleeve may be angularly adjusted therein Afor timing` purposes.

in consequence of the mounting oit' the magnets on the timing sleeve, the fixed pole pieces are eliminated, and a very simple and stron g housing can be employed to carry said sleeve. Moreover the efficiency of the inagneto is increased by the correspondingly lower eddy current losses, and generally the machine is simplified in construction, is much decreased in size, and its cost of manufacture is considerably reduced.

In effecting timing adjustments the sleeve is angular-ly displaced in the housing, and the magnets and pole slices, the operative cams of the interruptor, and the distributor are rotated to ay greater or less extent about the axis of the armature, and when the operative cams efl'ect separation ofl the contacts of the interrupter the armature can be arranged to occupy the most eflicient position with respect to tl e pole shoes independently of the setting of said timing adjustnnnts.

A difficultycommonly met with in niagnetos, and due to there being no provision for effecting timing adjustments of toe distriluitor and rmore particularly noticeable at high speeds, is 'that sparking is apt to occur betwmn 'the rotating distributor brush and the .listributor collector segments, thereby causing tracking or burning and wear of the portion of the insulation over which the brush travels.

This has been obviated to some extent by increasing the peripheral length of the eollector segments but this necessarily increases the size of the distriluitor bloei( r stator.

ln the present invention as the distributor moved during the timing adjustments of the sleeve planetary movement of 'the distributor gear is set up about. the driving pinion on the armature shaft. iidvantage .is taken ot this planetary motion to compensate for variable timing of tht-.spark and it enables the distributor brush to occupy the most 'favourable position relatively to the collector seggjnients at all points in the range of timing adjustments.

ln this invention there no limit to the range of such adjustments, and itl will be found that the timing sleeve may be rotated or angularly displaced to any extent in the housing without atfecting the intensity of the spark generated at a given speed. Moreover, .in any position of said Sleeve. when the interrupter contacts separate, the dist ributor llt) brush will always occupy the same position with respect to the collector segments. It accordingly follows, that the magneto may be operated in any position of the timing sleeve in the housing, and that a range of timing adjustments of any required extent may be obtained in all positions of said sleeve.

Furthermore, by advancing or retarding the timing sleeve the setting of the ignition range off an engine may be accurately adjusted, even when the engine is running, and without disturbing' the magneto from its seating and without the use of adjustable driving couplings hitherto employed for this purpose.

In the drawings illustrating the invention Figure 1, is a view in longitudinal section of a magneto ignition machine.

Figure 2, is a view in transverse section on the line 2 2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3`is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, on the line 3 3 Figure 1, drawn to a smaller scale and showing the timing sleeve in various positions.

' Figure 4 is a view in sectional plan on the line 4 4 Figure 1.

In thesc drawings the numeral 5 designates a housing made of a suitable non-niagnetic metal, such as for example aluminium, or an alloy thereof suitable for die-casting.

The housing 5 can be of cylindrical form and it can be provided with base flanges shewn by broken .lines in Figure 2, parallel to its axis and arranged to form a base when the magnet is to be base-mounted on an engine, or it can be provided with feet or lugs 'i' for the .ame purpose, or again it can be furnished with an enlarged flange 8 at one end for attachment to an engine when the magneto is to be spigot-mounted thereon.

The housing 5 may be bored cylindrically and of uniform diameter from end to end, but preferably said housing is provided with internal peripheral flanges or collars` 9 at its opposite ends. These i'langcs may be made of the same internal diameter as shown, or they may be of different diameters if required, and in some cases said flanges may be made as separate bushings of suitable metal adapted to tit recesses formed in the housing 5 to accommodate them.

The housing 5 accommodates a sleeve 10 of non-magnetic metal which at one end 11 is shouldered to lbear against an end of the housing y5 and at the opposite end .is provided with a detachable flange or plate 12 by means of which said sleeve is retained in position.

The sleeve can be provided with an end plate 13 at one end, and with an inturned flange (not shewn) at the opposite end, and said end plate and inturned flange form supports for the armature bearings as described 1n the applicants Patent No. 1,419,315, above referred to. Alternatively, the sleeve 10 can be provided shewn) with detachable covers at both ends which likewise accommodate the armature bearings. The flange or plate 12 and the end plate 13 form such detachable covers.

In opposite sides of the sleeve 10 and symmetrically positioned about a diametrical plane therethrough are formed slotted openings into which are fitted soft iron pole shoes 14, preferably of laminated structure.

Arcuately formed magnets 15, preferably made of highly magnetic cobalt steel, are lixed as by screws 1G to the portions of the sleeve l0 between the pole shoes 14, and the magnets 15 at their opposite ends overlap the pole shoes 14, or they may lit recesses (not shewn) therein.

The magnets 15 are arranged with their ends of like polarity in contact with the same pole shoe, so that the opposed pole shoes 14 have opposite polaritics and a bi-polar magnetic lield is thereby formed in which an armature 17 and associated condenser 17 both of well known construction, rotate.

The arnlature 17 is provided with a primary winding 17" and a secondary winding 17, but the details of construction thereof are uniii'iportant in so far as the present invention is concerned.

Two or more magnets may be used side by side, and compound magnets may be employed if required. The outer peripheri/es of the magnets 15 may be ground or otherwise made to lit snugly within the housing 5, 'but preferably a small clearance as shewn is provided therebetween.

' The sleeve 10 is provided with rings 18 made of suitable metal and constructial to rotatively lit the inturned flanges or collars 9. The rings 1S may be made of somewhat greater diameter than .the magnets 15 in orderA that the sleeve 10 may be easily inserted into the housing 5, as will. be readily understood. For this purpose also, the ring 1S at the end of the sleeve 10 adjacent the rear or driving end of the magneto may be made of less diameter than the ring 18 adjoining the shouldered end of said sleeve.

The laminations forming the pole shoes 14 can be cast in position in the sleeve l() during manufacture or the may be retained in .the slotted openings in said sleeve by the overlapping ends of the magnets 15.

As previously mentioned the distributor is carried on the sleeve. 1() and is advantageously moved therewith during timing adjustments.

The sleeve 1() accordingly is provided with an enlarged extension or cl-iambei.' 19 on which is mounted the stationary part or stator 2t) of the distributor and which accommodates the moving part or rotor 21 thereof and the gearing operating the same.

The ilistributor may be of any suitable construction, and it may be of the form shewn in the drawings attached hereto and described and illustrated in the applicant-s prior Patent No. 1,613,053, wherein the distributor rotor 21 is driven by a bevel gear 22 operatively engaging a bevel pinion 23 on the shaft 24 ot' Athe armature 17. Similar means may also be used to those described and illustrated in said Patent No. 1,613,053 for disruptively discharging high. tension secondary currents between the armature 17 andthe distributor rotor 21.

It the distributor rotor 21 is adapted to be driven by spur gearing from the armature shaft 24, the distributor may be made in accordance with the alternative distributor construction described and illustrated in the applicants Patent llo. 1,613,053, above rezterred to.

When a distributor operated by bevel gearing, as shewn in the drawings attached hereto, is employed, the sleeve 10 `is provided with an inclined extension 19 in and upon which the stator 20 and. rotor 21 are mounted.

As hereinbeiore mentioned the distributor is moved about the axis of the armature 1T during timing adjustments ot the sleeve 10. This movement of the distributor sets up planetary motion ot the distributor gear 22 about the pinion 23 on the armature shaft 24, and the distributor rotor 21 is accordingly rotated more or less by tin'iing adjustrments of the sleeve 10.

Advantage is taken ot this planetary movement ot the gear 22 to compensate tor variable timing of the spark, and it enables the distributor brush 25 to be mounted in such manner that the full width thereof evenly faces and occupies the same synune `ri. cal position with reioect to each distributor collector 26 in succession, at each spark discharge in all positions of the sleeve 10 in the housing 5.

It is accordingly unnecessary to provide any overlapping of the' brush 25 and collectors 26 in timing` the former with respect to the latter, and the collectors 20 may accordingly be of less peripheral length and they may be arranged closer to each other than has hitherto been the practice, thereby enabling the distributor stator 20 to be correspondingly reduced in size.

The primary interrupter may be ot any suitable construction, and preferably of the type having a rotary element 27 tired to the armature shalit 24 and provided with the usual pivoted arm 30 adapted by impact with cams 28 iixed to the end plat-e 13 to separate contacts 31 and 32 in the primary circuit, the Contact 32 beinofconnected with the primary winding 1lb in the usual manner. i

In order that the angular adjustment of the sleeve 10 and the parts thereon may be readily affected, an arm 29 is lixed to or cast integral with the sleeve 10, or the extension 19 thereof, and is adapted tor connection with and operation by controls in the usual manner, s shown in Figure 3.

1t will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates that the sleeve 10 with magnets 15, pole shoes 14, armatures 1T, condenser 17, interruptor (comprising a rotary clement 2T, pivoted arm 30, contacts 31 and 32, and stationary cams 23) and distributor (having a rotor 21 and stator 20), forms a complete multispark magneto. lt will also be understood tha t the housing 5 terms a support in which the magneto so constructed is mounted, and in which the sleeve 10 with magnets 15, pole shoesK 14, and cams 2S may be angularly adjusted for timing purposes about the armature 1T and the rotary element 2i' and ine parts thereon.

Moreover, as the pole shoes 14 and t cams 2S bear a i'iXed relationship to each other by reason ot their respective attac imcnt to the sleeve 10 and the end plate iiiicd thereto, and as the rotary clement 2 ot the interruptor is secured to thc sha l" oi the armature 1.7: it willV be obvious that the armature 1T will always occupy the saine position relatively to the pole shoes lei when the pivoted arm 30 coacts with thev cams 2S to separate the contacts 31 and 32 'to interrupt the primary circuit, irrespectiv ot the position oi the timing sleeve l0 in the housing Accordingly by arranging the pivoted arm 30 oit the rotary element 2T to coart with the cams 23 to break or interrupt the Vprimary circuit, when the armature occupies its most etticient position with respect toithe pole shoes 14 and the current in the primary circuit attains its maximum value: the best spark generated at a given speed will he ohtained in all positions ot the timing sleeve l0.

@lt l as ,been shown above thatithe spark generated by the magneto at a given speed. is iiulcpeialcnt oli the position ot the timingl sleeve 10 in the housing 5, and that the distributor brush 25 occupies a constant position with respect to the collectors 2G durino' spark discharges in all positions oli said sleeve in the housing` 5.

Accordingly the magneto may be operated iindependcntly ot `the position ot the timing sleeve 10, and the latter may be positioned so that the inclined extension 10"y thcreot and the distrilnitor thereon may be located vertically or horif/an'itally or in an inverted position, as shown in Figure 3, or in any other required position.

Moreover, in any position ot the timing` sleeve 10, a considerably greater timing range can be employed than is possible with magnctos ot ordinary construction, and the timing` sleeve 10 may be actuated through the arm 29 to singularly displace said sleeve through a greater range than the usual 3() degrees of advance adjustment, and through 10, 15, or more degreesof retard adjustment Without in any Way affecting the quality of the spark.

Furthermore, by advancing or retarding the timing sleeve l0, the setting of the ignition range of an engine may be accurately adjusted. For this purpose an adjustable member may be provided in the control linkage connected to the arm 29.

Sumnmrized briefly, a magneto constructed in accorda-nce with the foregoing, is oi simple construction, comparatively small in size and of light weight, is capable of an unrestricted range et timing iuljustments, is adapted for adjustment Without removal from `its seating on an engine to enable the setting of the ignition thereof to be adjusted as and when required, and in operation is adapted to maintain its parts in their most efficient positions and to furnish a spark of maximum intensity in fully advanced or .retarded positions and in all intermediate positionsi I claim 1. A magneto having a housing adapted for mounting in fixed position, and having the whole of its magnetic, electrical., and operating parts mounted in and on a structure fitting and angular-ly adjustable in the housing and adapted in any adjusted position to n'laintain said parts in their most efficientrelationship.

Q. A magneto having a housing adapted ter mounting` in fixed position, and having its magnetic elements and its current generating, interrupting, collecting and distributing members mounted in and on a structure fitting and angularly adjustable in the housing and adapted in any adjusted position to maintain said elements and members in their most eflicient relationship.

A magneto having a housing adaptedl for attachment to an internal combustion engine,y and having magnets, pole shoes, an armature, an interruptor, and a. distributor mounted in and on a structure fitting within the housing and angularly adjustable therein for timing purposes.

4. A magneto having a housing adapted for attachment to an internal combustion engine, and having magnets, pole shoes, an armature, an interruptor, and a, distributor mounted in and on a timing sleeve detachably fitting the housing and angularly adustable therein.

5. A magneto having a housing, means on the housing 'for attaching the same to an internal combustion engine, a timing sleeve fitting within the housing; magnets, pole shoes, an armature, an interruptor, and a distributor mounted in and on the timing sleeve; a member detachably fixed to the timing sleeve and adapted to retain said sleeve in the housing, and means for angularly displacing the timing sleeve in said housing.

6. A magneto Comprising a housing, a timing sleeve fitting the housing and angularly adjustable therein, an armature rotatable in the sleeve, magnets, pole shoes, a distributor, and interrupter cams mounted on the timing sleeve and adjustable there. with about the armature, and an interruptor supported by said sleeve and rotatable therein.

7. A magneto embodying magnets, pole shoes, an armature, an interruptor, a distributor, distributor collectors and a rotarv distributor brush, a timing sleeve on which said parts are mounted, and a housing in which the timing sleeve is angularly adj ustable and in any adjusted position thereof is adapted, when the interruptor is in operation, to maintain the pole shoes in their most efficient position relative to the armature and the rotary brush in a constant position with respect to the collectors.

8. In a magneto, a timing sleeve, oppositely disposed openings in the timing sleeve, pole shoes in the oppositely disposed openings, and magnets fixed to and movable with the timing sleeve and adapted to Contact with the pole shoes and to retain the same in said openings.

9. In a magneto, a timing sleeve,- pole shoes in the timing sleeve, and arcuately formed magnets fixed to the timing sleeve and arranged in peripheral Contact with said sleeve and the pole shoes.

l0. In a magneto, a timing sleeve, an armature therein, magnets fixed to the timing sleeve, and. pole shoes in said sleeve having their outer face in Contact with the magnets and their inner faces in direct magnetic association with the armature.

11. In "a n'u'igneto, a timing sleeve, an armature therein, oppositelydisposed pole shoes in the timing sleeve, and magnets having their ends ot one and the same polarity fixed to the timing sleeve and in Contact with one ot the pole shoes and their ends of the other polarity in contact with the opposite pole shoes to 'forman angularly adjustable bi-polar magnetic field in which the armature rotates.

12.111 a magneto, a housing, a timing sleeve detachably fitting the housing,- an enlarged extension at one 4end of the timing sleeve adapted to support stationary and rotary elements of an interruptor and a distributor and to `form a. shoulder on said sleeve, and a fiange detachably fixed to the opposite end of the timingr sleeve and enacting with thekshoulder to' retain the timing sleeve in said housing.

13. In a magneto, a housing having means formed integral therewith arranged for mounting the housing in fixed position,

and a timing sleeve annularly adjustable in the housing` Carrying magnets and pole shoes therefor, said sleeve having an axial extension arranged for support-ing stationary and rotary interruptor elements an d having a lateral extension arranged for supporting stationary and rotary distributor elements.

14. In a magneto, a timing sleeve, an armature rotatable therein, magnets iixed to the timing sleeve, a rotary element of an interruptor' rotatable with the armature, operative cams of the interruptor on the timing sleeve, pole shoes in said sleeve having their outer faces in Contact with the magnets and their inner faces in direct magnetiel association With the armature, and an arm on the timing sleeve to angularly adjust said sleeve and the magnets and pole shoes about the armature, and the rotary interruptor element relative to the interrupter operating cams.

15. A magneto having a housing adapted for attachment to an internal combustion engine, a timing sleeve litting within the housing, a shoulder at one end et the timing sleeve, a detachable liange at the opposite end of the timing sleeve, magnets fixed to and arranged :in peripheral Contact with the timing sleeve and positioned Within the housing, pole shoes fixed in the timing sleeve in Contact With the magnets, an enlarged eX- tension on the timing sleeve, an end plate liXed to the enlarged extension, an armature, an armature shalt, rotary elementsI oit an interruptor on the armature shaft, stationary Cams ot the interrupter en the end plate, a dstrilnitor having a stator and a rotor mounted on the enlarged extension, gearing within the enlarged extension operatively connecting the rotor with the armature sha'lt, and an arm on the enlarged eX- tension adapted to el'eet angular adjustments of the timing sleeve.

In Witness whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

ARTHUR G. L. NEIGHBOUR. 

